Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1887-10-08
Near a Battlefield.

One Of the best known men in Tuck
or county W. Va. Is Lewis kittle, who
resides on the Indian Fork OF Clover
Run. His reputation among his neigh
bors and a~cquaintances Is above re-
proach, and the following story, for
which he vouches NAV be relied upon
as containing facts a he understands
them. Mr., kittle i NJ a super9tItlous
man. nor is be a believer IN Spiritual
ism. In 1861 Mr.. kittle. in company
with others, was engaged in mining
near the ground on which was fought
the battle OF Rich Mountain. He and a
cousin named Daniel Courtright board
ed at a large house adjacent to tie bat
tlefield, and which was used a, 3 hos
nital for the wounded Of both armies.
During the progress OF the fight 4
ma va. shot in one of the rooms, the
very room occupied by kittIe and his
cof,in in 1861. BEGINNING with their
first night in this room, kittle and his
cousin heard strange noises. At first
they gave no heed, supposih- they
were caused by wind. One day they
were told by a fellow miner that the
house was haunted. and that gho>tly
forms frequented the room in which
they slept. Undi>mayed, kittie and
his cousin continued to remain there.
On a Saturday night 0 o after this
COPYRIGHT was absent and kittle occu-
pied the room alone. During the night
he was awakened by q strange chilli
ness. A cool grayish mist made the
furniture III the room dimly visible.
There was.an oppressive silence. save
for a low uncertain sound that seemed
the echo of a slight breeze. Obeying
some impulse kittle rose from his bed
and moved to a spot opposite II near
the door. He felt no fear, but was i'm
pressed with a sense of 5olemnlty. Al
most Immediately he saw in the air
eight forms clad in the Confederate
uniform. With uncovered heads they
approached the bed on which kittle
had been sleeping. One of the number
removed the bed covering, throwing it
over the foot OF the bed to the floor,
Four of the men stopped above the bed
as if lifting a weight, The object,
wholly invisible to Kittle, was laid APP
parently upon nothing between the re-
manning four men, who stoodin the po-
sition occupied by pall-bearers. Two
of the men who had lifted the object
from the bed took their places in front
of the four p~all-bearers, and two behind
them. and in this order the party APP
preached the door. As they passed out
kittle says he saw lying between the
pall-bearers the body of q handsome
young man, with his coat and vest re-
moved. No sound attended their de-
parture until they reached the hallway,
when a noise resembling that made by
one walking with a crutch on a wood
en- floor, followed by the sound of a
closing door, was heard.
kittle returned to his bed, but in
about half an hour the ghostly party
returned, performing the same action.
as before, except that the body wa,
taken from the floor in one corner Of
the room. Mr.. kittle says he carno
possibly be mistaken as to what he re.
lates. He was not dreaming, and was
wide awake. He was in perfect health
The affair was spoken of at the time tC
other gentlemen in the house, all o
WHOM agreed that similar experience.
had been related by several people wht
had occupied the room.
On another occasion, and when MIR
COPYRIGHT was present, the covering
vas removed from the bed several time
in quick succession. Both men aros,
and sat on the side of the bed, but wer,
forcibly, though gently, pushed asid'
and against the wall. They saw n,
forms near them while being pushe,
from the bed, but a few moments late
saw enacted the same scene describe,
above. Moving the bed made no chang
in the conduct Of the visitors. Tn
visits were so frequent that kittle am
his cousin, on becoming aware of TIL
coming of the soldiers, would say
There are the rebels